7.11

Confucius said to Yan Hui, “Acting when called upon to act and retiring when not needed. Only you and I are like this.”

Zilu asked, “If you were leading an army, who would you take as a lieutenant?”

Confucius replied, “Not the kind of person who likes to wrestle tigers or rush across a river on foot. Not someone who rushes headlong toward death without a second thought. I’d like someone who approaches the work with caution, someone who plans, and someone who sees the thing through to completion.”